Apple Cinnamon Doughnuts with Bourbon Butter

Bake the flavors of fall into homemade doughnuts! These Apple Cinnamon Doughnuts with Bourbon Butter are soft, sweet, and bursting with crisp apple flavor. Finished with bourbon butter and cinnamon sugar, each bite is warm and comforting!

⭐ Why You’ll Love This Recipe 

I have fond memories of indulging in warm apple cinnamon doughnuts with my family after our annual trip to the pumpkin patch. That said, these homemade Apple Cinnamon Doughnuts with Bourbon Butter are quite the nostalgic treat!

Imagine a soft, warm cinnamon apple doughnut glazed with bourbon butter and cinnamon sugar. It may come as a surprise, but making doughnuts from scratch is simple! After a quick bake in the oven, the apple doughnuts turn out to be soft and cakey with a fresh apple, cinnamon, and bourbon flavor. 

These apple cinnamon baked doughnuts are a great way to unwind after a hard day of apple and pumpkin picking. Pair them with a Spiced Apple Brandy Cocktail or Pumpkin Spiced Affogato to finish the day the right way! For more fall favorites, check out my Cinnamon Macarons, Pumpkin Spice Macarons and Chewy Molasses Cookies.

❓ Homemade doughnuts: baked vs. fried

There’s no argument here; both baked and fried doughnuts are delicious. While yeast typically makes fried doughnuts rise, leavening agents (like baking soda, baking powder, and salt) help baked doughnuts plump up in the oven and give them a tender, cake-like crumb like these pecan donuts and coffee donuts.

Baked doughnuts also typically healthier compared to old-fashioned fried doughnuts. This quick and easy recipe will show you how to make baked apple doughnuts that are next-level delicious.

Fried donuts are also incredibly delicious - try my blackberry brioche donuts, bavarian cream donuts, and passion fruit curd donuts.

🍴Ingredients 

• Apples and applesauce - There’s no shortage of apples and applesauce in these doughnuts! It’s important that you use tart, sweet, and sturdy apples. Honeycrisps are delightful (especially in the fall), but Granny Smith, Braeburn, and pink lady are also good options.

• Warm spices - Cinnamon and nutmeg are vital to achieving warm and cozy fall flavors. Use quality, full-bodied spices for the most decadent flavor.

• Buttermilk, butter, and egg - This trio will give the doughnuts a moist muffin-like texture and consistency. Want to make your own buttermilk from scratch? Check out my guide for making homemade buttermilk or vegan buttermilk!
  
• Bourbon extract - For notes of vanilla, oak, and caramel. You can use vanilla extract here if you don’t have bourbon extract.
  
• Bourbon butter - After the doughnuts rest, they’re coated in a simple mixture of bourbon and melted butter. I brush the top of each doughnut with it while they’re warm so the buttery bourbon goodness soaks into the cake, adding moisture and flavor.
  
• Cinnamon-spiced sugar - As a rule of thumb, the ratio for spiced sugar is 1 part sugar to 1/10 part spice. Feel free to double up on the cinnamon sugar for the doughnuts or to coat sugar cookies, sprinkle on creme brûlée, and much more.

📖 Step by Step Instructions

Step 1: Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, nutmeg, salt, and baking soda together in a bowl.

Step 2: Whisk the wet ingredients. Whisk the applesauce, sugar, buttermilk, butter, egg, and bourbon extract together in a separate bowl. Finish by gently folding in the apple.

Step 3: Finish the batter. Fold the dry mixture into the wet mixture until just combined. 

Step 4: Pipe the batter and bake. Pipe the batter into your doughnut pan, filling each cavity just over halfway. Transfer the pan into the oven and bake until firm and golden.

Step 5: Prepare the toppings. Whisk the cinnamon and sugar together while you wait for the doughnuts. In a separate bowl, mix the bourbon and melted butter. 

Step 6: Let them cool. Once baked, let the doughnuts cool for a few minutes in the pan before turning them out on a wire rack. 

Step 7: Decorate and serve. Brush the tops of each baked apple cinnamon doughnut with the bourbon butter and coat in the cinnamon sugar. Enjoy!

Baking doughnuts without a doughnut pan

No, a doughnut pan is NOT necessary for this recipe. To bake the doughnuts without a doughnut pan, use a mini bundt pan, muffin pan, or mini muffin pan instead. The baking times will vary, so keep an eye on your oven and double-check for doneness with a toothpick.

👩🏻‍🍳 Expert Tips

• Toothpick trick - When your doughnuts are finished baking, they should be plump, firm, and golden. To check for doneness, make sure a toothpick inserted into one of the doughnuts comes out clean. 
• Apple pie spice - If you have apple pie spice (or pumpkin pie spice), by all means, use it instead of cinnamon.
• No bourbon at home? Feel free to omit it entirely and simply dip each doughnut in melted butter and cinnamon sugar. Alternatively, coat the doughnuts in maple syrup or honey mixed with butter, my vanilla doughnut glaze, or this salted caramel buttercream.

❄️ Storing

Baked cake doughnuts are best enjoyed fresh from the oven while still soft and warm. If you have any extras, keep them in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for 2 to 3 days.

💭 Recipe FAQS

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